Effects of hot compress treatment with a hot water bottle on physiological parameters and subjective sensations in healthy women

Abstract

AbstractAim: The purpose of this study was to obtain data on young women during the afternoon, which would be comparable with the results of previous research performed in the morning, in order to examine the effects of hot compresses in the form of hot water bottles on physiological responses and subjective evaluation, and to investigate interactions between the measured values and physical factors, including menstrual variations.Methods: A crossover design using hot water bottles at 80, 55, and 30°C was used, and 11 healthy female students participated in the study. The hot water bottles at 30°C were used as controls, because 30°C is approximately the internal temperature of a bed. Each hot water bottle was applied to the plantar feet.Results: The major findings of our study were that: (i) water temperature in the hot water bottle has significant effects on the subjective thermal sensation, the deep plantar temperature, and the in‐bed humidity; (ii) the 80°C bottle was superior to the 55°C bottle with regard to the subjective sensations of the subject; and (iii) thermal sensation may be correlated with the deep plantar temperature, the in‐bed temperature and the in‐bed humidity.Conclusions: The present study indicates that it is very likely that thermal sensation is affected by the temperature of water in the hot water bottle. When using a hot water bottle to warm up young women in the afternoon, augmentation of cutaneous blood flow in the toes does not seem to be the best index of thermal sensation.